Head band attachment for respirators



1937. H. F. SHINDEL ET AL 2,097,676

HEAD BAND ATTACHMENT FOR RESPIRATORS Filed June 4, 1935 Harry F ShindalAllen D. Brandi:

INVENTORS ATTORNEYS Patented Nov. 2, 1937 PAT N 'OF C e ia ApplicationJune 4, 1935, Serial No; 24,834'" 5.5Claims. (o1. .i2s ;i41

" This invention relates to respirators"eniploy ing a head band or thelike tosecurethem in position on 'the'face of a wearer,1the"main objectsbeing to guard against 'leakagejof impure air 5 through such bandconnection and toprovidean improved connection insuring a positivesupport, more accurate'fit, andgreater comfort in wear ing the same. j jThe mask portion of the;respiratoris'prefer= l ably made of flexiblematerial, as rubber, or the like, molded to conformingly fit the face,usually the mouth and nose only, and the head' band at tachmenthas'heretofore commonly been provided by headed studs insertedthroughsuitable aper- -15 tures formed in the molded wall. This type ofhead band connection has proven satisfactory when" slight leakage wasnot dangerous and the mask material was comparatively firm. Modernpractice calls for a softer m'askof increased flex- 0 ibi'lity to morereadily conform tothecurvatures of the face and tightly fit against thesame without uncomfortable pressure at any point. In thissoftermask,strain of the head band on the headed studs tends to tilt'and strainthem in 25 their wall apertures, stretching the latter to cause adangerous source of leakage for certain uses, and distorting the maskmore or less in tauting the band to press the mask against the face.

The present improvements are intended to 30 overcome the aforesaiddifficulties and to provide a mask connection which can in no mannercause leakage and that will insure a better support for the mask andfreedom from distortion of the latter due to strain of the head band. 35With the above objects in view the invention comprises the head bandattaching device more fully described in connection with theaccompanying drawing, and the novel features of which are specificallyset forth in the appended claims. 40 Fig. 1 indicates in side elevationa respirator mask having band attaching ears embodying the presentinvention.

Fig. 2 is a cross sectional view on the line 22 of Fig. 1, showing theattaching ears formed as 45 part of the rim of an attachment securingclamping cap. V

Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view, similar to Fig. 2, but indicating theattaching ears as part of a ring engaged by the clamping cap. 50 Fig. 4is a perspective view of a bent-wire modification of the band attachingring shown in Fig. 3.

Figs. 5 and 6 are respectively a transverse section and front elevationof the embodiment 55 shown in Fig. 2.

rim portion 9' adapted -to engage the Figs; 7 and 8 are correspondinglysectionalan'd 'elevatedwiews of the embodiment shown'in Fig. 3.

,[The' respirator'shown in the drawing is well known-and comprises aface-conforming mjask-5 I which: is 1 of-continuouscharacter and adaptedto fit over the nose and mouth of a wearerand tightly fit against theface of the latter to ex elude admission of outside'air during inhaling,except as admitted through its air-inlet aperture "10 6, shown formedwith -af'usual- -surrouhdingattaching flange 1. -This mask is preferablymolded of comparatively soft "rubber or other'flexible materialimpervious to fluids, and carries, for protection against admission ofimpureair, a

filtering cartridge or air-supply tube not shown and attached'to themask, as'bythe well-known end-apertured clamping screw cap -8; having aangel of th m s sshqwn i Preferab1yythe-inask 5 is 1 tubiilarfinconstrue tion and may be 'relativelyjelongated to permit essentialclearance between the face of the wearer and the more rigid elementsusually connected to the clamping cap 8. The opposite edges thereof areformed differently, the forward edge comprising the clamping flange 1and the rearward edge having the face conforming configuration shown inthe drawing.

As stated before, the present improvements re- 0 late to a head bandconnection for a respirator as above set forth, and essentiallycomprises band-attaching ears l0, l0 adapted to lie closely adjacentagainst opposite outer side walls of the mask 5, and means forsupporting said ears bebind the mask attaching flange I, so that strainsof the head band are distributed around the airinlet aperture 6 indrawing the mask against the face of a wearer.

The support for the ears [0, l0, may vary as later herein described,with the object in view of distributing strains around the inlet 6 by asupport bearing against the outer surface of the imperforate rubber maskfree of any possible piercing of the latter to cause leaks forunconditioned air.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and detail views 5 and 6, the ears In, It)are formed as integral portions of the clamping cap 8, and may bereadily made in cutting the end apertures of the cap 8 to leave the rimportion with extension to be bent up as shown to form said ears l0, 10.When the cap rim is engaged over the mask flange 1, and seated againstthe inner face of the latter by clamping engagement with an airconditioner 'be provided to secure the head band attaching With the headband attaching device above described, the mask wall is free from anyaperture likely to cause leakage, and the spaced ears are properlypositioned and supported so that the strains of the tauted head bandstrap are spread around the mask inlet aperture to more equallydistribute the pressure of the inner edge of the mask against thewearers face, with freedomto flex as required, and avoidance ofdistortion more or less inherent in the connections heretofore known.

The supports so far described are shown as made of flat metal or othersuitable flat material, but it is obvious that they may, if desired, bemade of bent wire, as seen in Fig.9, indicating a collar ring lB withloop ears l9, l9, spaced fromthe ring by wire twists 20, 20 to preventopening of the ring orloop ears-when strained by pull on the head band.

It is also obvious that the ear supporting rings may be made in twoparts relatively adjustable to properly position the ears in varyingposition if required.

It is intended to include the above shown and suggested modifications aswell as others, not specifically mentioned, that are within the spiritor the invention as defined in the following claims.

We claim:

1. In a respirator the combination with a face mask of flexible materialhaving an air inlet provided with a surrounding flange, of a flangedmask extension and head-band attaching means jointly secured to the maskby clamping engagement of the flanges.

2. In a respirator the combination with a face mask of flexible materialhaving an air inlet provided with a surrounding flange, of a flangedmask extension and head-bandattaching means jointly secured to'the maskby clamping engagement of the flanges, said band attaching meanscomprising rigid band engaging ears overlying the adjacent flexible bodyof the mask.

3. In a respirator the combination with a face mask of flexible materialhaving an air inlet provided with a surrounding flange, of a flangedmask extension secured to the mask by clamping engagement of theflanges, and a separately formed mask-encircling ring engaged betweenthe. clamping flanges and having band-engaging ears arranged to overliethe adjacent flexible body of the mask.

4. In a respirator the combination with a flexible mask having an airinlet with a surrounding external flange, and an air-conditioner inletattachment having a clamping rim engageable with said mask flange, of ahead band attachment comprising band attaching ears adapted to overliethe mask body and a mask encircling rim adapted to be clampingly engagedbetween said mask flange and clamping rim.

5. In a respirator the combination with a faceconforming mask of moldedflexible material having an inlet opening formed with a surroundingexterior flange, and an inlet-attachment having a rim adapted toclampingly engage said mask flange, of a head-band attaching device com-

